Maharashtra home minister R R Patil on Thursday claimed that the Naxal movement is being funded by a section of the cash-rich mining industry.
"Several mines are located in Naxal-affected areas. Those involved in the mining business are providing financial muscle to the Naxal movement," he said, adding, "The movement is not playing itself out in jungles alone. It is being backed by "bigshots" living in metro cities."
According to a Times of India report, the minister suggested that the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) should find out details like the source of funding of these companies doing work in Naxal-hit areas. He made the statement while talking media persons at his Mantralaya office.
Patil referred to the reverses suffered by the security forces in areas like Dantewada in Chattisgarh. "In past several years, the movement has seen drastic change. Earlier, Naxals used to attack in one or two dalams (army of nine to ten people). Now, they (Naxals) attack with a whole company that comprises 100 people and that too with latest weapons," he pointed out. However, when asked about the government's plan to deal with such situation where Naxals are using hi-tech weapons, he said, "Strategies are not revealed in public."
Recently, Union home minister P Chidambaram had urged Naxals to come forward for a dialogue with the government instead of fighting on the streets.
Patil, who earlier used to feel that "bullet for bullet" is the right strategy to deal with the Naxal movement, has now started believing that his views are not completely correct. Taking a leaf from Chidambaram's statement, Patil said, "Development of the affected places should be taken up on a priority basis as it is the solution to end the Naxalite movement."
Patil is the first home minister who took the initiative and asked for the guardian minister's post of Gadchiroli — one of the Naxal-affected areas in the state. "Naxal dominated areas, especially the remote areas, have not been benefited by the government facilities. I have realised this after becoming the guardian minister. I will take the issue with chief minister Ashok Chavan to expedite the development work in these areas," he said.
Forty per cent of the government posts in these areas were vacant, but now the situation has changed as the number has come down to 27.
Launching a scathing attack on human rights activists, who have been sympathising with Naxalites, Patil said, "The human rights activist attack the government whenever the security officials kill any civilian by mistake. But the activists are silent when Naxals go on butchering people."
Recently, after the Dantewada incident, Chidambaram, in an interview to a news channel, had urged the human rights activist to come forward and condemn the attack.
